


Unseemly Curiosity

by merry_amelie



Series: Stand-alones [6]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-03-08
Updated: 2003-03-08
Packaged: 2018-04-12 04:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4464932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bant investigates something fishy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unseemly Curiosity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [splix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/splix/gifts).



> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.

Bant crept into Obi-Wan's quarters well after curfew. Master and Knight were teaching a class on Treaty Signing, and Obi-Wan had made the mistake of giving her his code.

Her own Master was also teaching a night class, during which she had really tried to get her homework done in their rooms. But Bant couldn't stop thinking about a conversation she'd overheard between Garen and Sarrona on the dinner line. 

"Get over it, Sarri," Garen said. "I tell you, he's in love with Master Jinn."

Sarrona pouted adorably, a fact not lost on Garen. "Look, I know about that crush, okay? But it's never going to happen. Obi needs someone his own age."

Garen grinned triumphantly. "It has happened. I saw them kissing when they thought everyone had left after their Treaty Signing course."

A crestfallen Sarrona just stared at him patiently until Garen came out with the rest of it. "Well, I was kind of behind the door, you see." He ducked his head, avoiding her eyes.

Sarrona sighed. "Well, I guess it's better to know why he won't date me." 

Garen casually dropped his arm around her as they made it to the front of the line. "It's always better to know." 

Sarrona was not the only one surprised by Garen's information. Bant was well and truly startled. She and Obi-Wan had confided everything to each other over the years, and she'd no idea that he'd held anything back. 

Bant's overriding thought now was that she had to see for herself if Garen spoke the truth. So here she was, creeping around her friend's quarters, looking for clues.

The common room was in its usual state of neatness, with a few datapads on the desk and table. The kitchen revealed nothing of interest, but a likely looking jala fruit, which Bant promptly ate. The 'fresher held neatly folded towels and gleaming fixtures. Nothing, not even an errant hair.

Bant walked into Obi-Wan's bedroom, and looked around carefully. The bed was made, but had it been slept in beforehand? That was the question. She ran a hand over the quilt to check for dust. A fine, white residue was indeed visible. Inconclusive, but interesting. Next, Bant carefully pulled back the sheets. If someone had slept here, there were bound to be a few creases even in the most carefully-made bed. 

Success! No wrinkles of the slept-in kind, but the folds of linen fresh from the wash. Bant's elation was temporary, however, as she reflected that Obi-Wan could simply have changed the bedding that morning. She quickly put the bed to rights.

Steeling herself, Bant entered Master Jinn's room. She'd hoped to find what she came for, one way or the other, before having to go there. Somehow, it seemed a worse violation of his privacy than any she had committed so far.

The big bed was made, but Bant's eye was caught by the way the sheet was folded. It was identical to Obi-Wan's bed. The inescapable conclusion was that the same person made both beds, and she doubted that it would be Master Jinn.

In ten years of living with Master Ault, Bant had never been in his bedroom, let alone performed such a personal service for him. She didn't know whether to rejoice at her discovery, or to be angry at Obi-Wan for not telling her himself. Well, so far the evidence was slight. 

Bant looked at the chrono. She'd better hurry; class let out soon. She couldn't bring herself to look in the nightstand or dresser; there might be intimate mementoes there. Her conscience was starting to kick in, and she determined to take just a cursory glance around the room when her eye was caught by a golden red hair twined in the brush on the dresser.

Bant froze in her tracks. She knew intimacy when it hit her in the face. Master Jinn had occasionally helped Obi-Wan with his braid, but the last time she'd ever heard of it was eleven years ago. Surely a new Knight could handle his own head of hair, especially since it was considerably less complicated than the Padawan cut.

Either Obi-Wan had been in here brushing his hair, or, skies above, Master Jinn had done it for him. Either way, this seemed like _their_ room now. Bant looked around with new eyes, and saw two chairs by the window, a half-finished game of poullie on the table. She was drawn to a holo on the wall showing Master and Knight standing with shoulders brushing as they smiled for the picture.

A couple lived here. Bant released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A cough at the door whipped her head around, and she stared into two pairs of surprised eyes.

Bant hung her head. "Oh, Master Jinn, Obi, I'm so sorry..." Her voice trailed away as she looked at them, and saw nothing but kindness in their eyes.

Obi-Wan came forward to take her by the arm. "All you had to do was ask us, Bant," he gently chided in a low voice.

"I know, Obi." She closed her eyes. "That's what I should have done."

Master Jinn took her other arm, offering far more than physical support. "Let's have some cha. We'll all feel better for it."

They went to the terrace, which felt lovely in the cool of the evening. Qui-Gon left to make the tea, leaving Bant and Obi-Wan alone.

"Can you ever forgive me, Obi?" Bant asked, blushing a deeper blue than Obi-Wan had ever seen her.

"You're my best friend, Bant. I won't throw that away lightly." He took her hand in his. "Just tell me why you did this, rather than asking me."

So Bant told him all about Garen and Sarrona, and her dismay that Obi-Wan hadn't confided in her. He nodded sympathetically as she talked, and at the end, drew her in for a hug.

"It's okay, Bant," he said. "We're friends for life. No more worrying about that." They settled back in their chairs, and Obi-Wan looked at her thoughtfully. "There are some things I'd like you to know. Qui-Gon and I value our privacy, and determined to keep the change in our relationship to ourselves. We decided that we could not make exceptions in this, because then we'd have the daunting task of which friends to confide in. Sometimes one person is told and the whole Temple hears."

Bant grinned at this. Privacy was indeed a crucial issue when so many of their number were telepaths. She nodded encouragement.

"Even Master Yoda doesn't know, and he's been teasing Qui-Gon about his visions of us together for years now." 

Master Jinn heard their laughter, and smiled in relief as he walked to the terrace with cha on a tray. He'd hoped that they had it all sorted out by now.

Bant surprised Qui-Gon by rising and bowing deeply before him. "My humblest apologies, Master Jinn."

He grasped her upper arms to raise her and made it into an embrace. Bant felt forgiveness and understanding radiating from him. "Accepted, Bant, and now there's no need to speak of it again."

Smiling gratefully, she finished her cha, and headed for her room, happy that her friendship with Master Jinn and Obi-Wan had been saved.

The Master and the Knight stayed on the terrace long after Bant had left. Qui-Gon sat and watched as Obi-Wan's brow creased in thought.

"Are you surprised by Bant's actions, Obi-Wan?"

"Yes I am, Qui-Gon. I was confident in our discretion, and I saw no need for her to know more than the others." 

Jinn's deep chuckle resonated on the terrace. "Even Jedi retain their unseemly curiosity, my love. That's how this whole mess started. Bant and Garen, two of your best friends, wanted to know more about us than we were willing to share with them."

Obi-Wan sighed. "What are we going to do?" He took hold of Qui-Gon's hand.

Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon's breath on his fingers as he kissed their tips. "You've already forgiven Bant, which is the most important thing. Garen, Sarrona and Bant are the only people who know about us, barring anyone else who may have overheard Garen."

"So we still have the option of privacy. We could ask the three of them to keep silent, and trust them to do so." Obi-Wan was clearly willing to continue their discreet ways. He pulled Qui-Gon up and kissed him.

Qui-Gon's beard tickled Obi-Wan's lips as he spoke. "That is what we could do," he agreed, "but I'd prefer to know what you'd _like_ to do now."

Obi-Wan groaned. "Why does this feel like one of your philosophy exams?" He rested his forehead against Qui-Gon's. "What I'd really like to do is to go on a retreat with you to the Temple on Dantooine, and not come back for ten years." He sighed ruefully. "But I'll settle for keeping our private life private here and now."

Luckily, only Qui-Gon could hear the faint sound of Master Yoda's cackle on the night air.


End file.
